Nashville hot chicken

Whisk buttermilk, some pickle brine, a generous amount of hot sauce and a large egg in a mixing bowl.

Toss the eight chicken pieces in the marinade with tongs until thoroughly coated; wrap and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Season all-purpose flour with fine salt only, since the sauce brings the spice.

Lift each piece from the marinade, let it drip, blot on paper towels and salt it; reserve the marinade.

Double dredge: flour until no wet spots, shake off, back into the marinade, drip, then flour again; use one dry hand and one wet hand; set on a rack.

Rest on the countertop 15 minutes so the coating sets.

Sauce: butter and lard with two tablespoons of cayenne, a little garlic powder, sweet paprika, a little brown sugar, salt and black pepper; stir over medium-high a couple of minutes until melted and hot; keep warm.

Fill a cast-iron skillet a third of the way with vegetable oil and heat to 350F; add the chicken skin side down and hold the oil about 325F.

Fry about 8 to 10 minutes per side to at least 160 internal; he turns at 6 to 7 minutes, again at 6 to 7, then another minute or two, for a twice-fried crispness. Wings come out first. Drain on a rack.

Set the hot chicken on sliced white bread, brush the spicy sauce generously over both sides, and top with sliced bread and butter pickles.